Softcard (Was: Microsoft-Paul Allen

[George Rachor]

I have a Basis (apple ][ clone) with a cpm card built on the main board….

George

> On Oct 21, 2018, at 11:09 AM, systems_glitch via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> 
> I'd heard, but have no sources for said hearsay, that the most common CP/M
> machine in volume was the Apple II.
> 
> There were definitely knockoffs of the Microsoft Z80 Softcard. One of my
> IIe systems has one from SPACE BYTE, the other is no-name. I've personally
> seen more knockoffs than actual Microsoft cards. The two I have currently
> are definitely "photocopy" type knockoff/clone cards, the layout is nearly
> identical to the real Microsoft card I've got. That of course doesn't speak
> for what was actually deployed.
> 
> Some Apple II compatibles also came with CP/M compatibility out of the box,
> I don't personally know if that was MS Z80 Softcard compatible or something
> else.
> 
> Thanks,
> Jonathan
> 
> On Sat, Oct 20, 2018 at 5:54 PM Fred Cisin via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> wrote:
> 
>>>> The Softcard was a Z-80 based single-board
>>>> computer
>> 
>> On Sat, 20 Oct 2018, Eric Smith via cctalk wrote:
>>> It wasn't. It was only a processor card.
>>> No version of the Softcard had it's own video output. It used normal
>> Apple
>>> video  output. If you wanted 80x24, you had to use a separate third-party
>>> 80-column card, or (later) and Apple IIe, IIc, IIc+, or IIgs.
>>> I'm not sure what you're referring to by "etc.", but the vast majority of
>>> Softcards and their clones did not have their own RAM, and used that of
>> the
>>> Apple II.
>>> The PCPI Applicard and it's clones had their own RAM. Some very late
>> models
>>> of the Softcard had their own RAM.
>> 
>> I remember hearing, at one point, a statement (not necessarily reliable),
>> that said that 20% of Apple computers had a Softcard.
>> What was the approximate percentage in 1980/1981, when IBM contacted
>> Microsoft?
>> (or number that had been sold, which would include ones not actually in
>> use)
>> 
>> What was the PEAK percentage?
>> (or number that had been sold, which would include ones not actually in
>> use)
>> 
>> Were there other brands, or imitations, available then (1980/1981)?
>> 
>> Later, what percentage were imitations?
>> 
>> Speculatively, how much were they used V use of the machine in non-Z80
>> ways?  (How many people bought it just ot have the capability, without
>> necessarily being active CP/M users?)
>> 
>> 
>> This is definitely not the first time that I have heard that IBM had
>> assumed that CP/M was a Microsoft product.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>